Application Note AN-1068 revA

Considerations for Designs Using

Radiation-Hardened Solid State Relays
By Alan Tasker

Table of Contents
Introduction
Page
Overview ..............................................................................................1
The Contact .......................................................................................1
Actuation............................................................................................1
The IR Advantage
1. Input Buffer ....................................................................................3
2. Normally Closed Contacts .............................................................4
The Product LIne..................................................................................5
Application Hints
General Use.........................................................................................6
SSR Switching Times ..........................................................................8
Single Shot High Current Pulse Generator ........................................12
Sequencing High Current Pulse Generator........................................13
Design for Survivability in a Radiation Environment...........................15
Radiation Effects................................................................................15
Simulation Model ...............................................................................16
Manufacturers of satellites, satellite launch vehicles, and tactical weapon systems face many
challenges when designing electro-mechanical relays (EMR) into their systems. Some method of
cushioning must be employed in order to prevent false relay operation when encountering shock
and vibration. In addition, hash filters are sometimes necessary to debounce the contacts, thus
adding space and weight. However, Solid State Relays (SSR) are immune to the shock and
vibration levels normally encountered, and do not need contact filters. Hence, the use of Solid
State Relays in place of the mechanical type leads to a more reliable end product.

AN-1068 revA
International Rectifier 233 Kansas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245

USA

Considerations for Designs Using

Radiation-Hardened Solid State Relays
By Alan Tasker,
SSR Product Line Manager, IR Hi-Rel Products Group
Introduction
Manufacturers of satellites, satellite launch vehicles, and tactical weapon systems face many challenges when designing electro-mechanical relays (EMR) into their systems. Some method of cushioning must be employed in order to prevent false relay operation when encountering shock and
vibration. In addition, hash filters are sometimes necessary to debounce the contacts, thus adding
space and weight. However, Solid State Relays (SSR) are immune to the shock and vibration levels
normally encountered, and do not need contact filters. Hence, the use of Solid State Relays in place
of the mechanical type leads to a more reliable end product.

Overview
In an SSR, various electronic elements are used to take the place of the electro-mechanical elements in a mechanical relay. These are described as follows.

The Contact
An SSR uses a MOSFET in place of the mechanical contact. This is why there is no contact bounce.
However, if there is any significant power dissipation involved, then proper heat sinking will be
necessary.

Actuation
The traditional relay uses an electromagnet in conjunction with other mechanical components to
effect contact actuation. The SSR employs a photovoltaic isolator (PVI). As a minimum, a PVI
consists of one or more LEDs and a photovoltaic array. When a current is run through the LED(s),
the light output falls on the array, generating a voltage that charges the FET gate. This turns the
SSR on. There must also be a gate discharge circuit present to insure that the MOSFET turns off in
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a controlled manner when it is desired to turn the SSR off. An SSR constructed as described is
shown in Figure 1. In relay terms, this particular configuration is called a Single Pole, Single Throw,
Normally Open (SPST NO) type. It is also called a Form A relay. Since the MOSFET has a body
diode, this arrangement does not block current flow in both directions, so it is used only in DC
circuits.

Figure 1.- SPST NO (Form A) DC SSR Circuit Schematic

Because of the physical separation between the LED(s) and the array, there is at least 1000 Volts of
isolation between the input and the output of an SSR.
In order to handle AC, a second MOSFET is added, as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2.- SPST NO (Form A) AC SSR Circuit Schematic

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The IR Advantage
1. Input Buffer
The coil in most mechanical relays has sufficient resistance such that it does not need an input
buffer. Coils are usually constructed so that actuation occurs at reasonable currents when connected to its rated Voltage, such as 5, 12, 15, or 24 Volts. The LED in the SSR, however, is a low
impedance device, so some method of current limiting must be employed. This can be built in,
along with a logic level activated input buffer, as shown in Figure 3. This buffer, unlike a bipolar
transistor buffer, draws no current from the logic driver, greatly simplifying the design.

Figure 3.- One type of SSR Input Buffer

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1. Normally Closed Contacts

Most MOSFETs are constructed by a process that leads to a normally off state, also called an
enhancement mode device. The application of a gate voltage enhances the drain-to-source channel, turning the device on and allowing the channel to conduct current. This mode fulfills what is
called a Normally Open (NO) or a Form A contact in an EMR.
However, normally on FETs are rare. IR, however, has a set of processes that enable us to make
this type of FET as well, and these are called depletion mode devices. These fulfill the role of what
is called a Normally Closed (NC) or a Form B contact. In addition, by packaging one of each type of
contact in a single package, a Single Pole, Double Throw (SPDT) SSR can be made. This is also
called a Form C contact.

Figure 4.- RDHA718SD10C1BK Single Pole, Double Throw (Form C) DC SSR

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Since the actuation voltage for each FET type is of the opposite polarity, two opto-couplers must be
used. This leads to additional flexibility because the two sides (NO and NC) are independent and
are not tied together as they would be in an EMR. Additional circuitry may be built in to accomplish
Break-Before-Make (BBM), or Make-Before-Break (MBB) operation when the two inputs are driven
simultaneously, another IR advantage.

The Product Line

At the time of this writing, the A Series product line consists of the following parts.

Part Number

Package

Voltage

Contacts

RDHA718SE10A2QK

Current
Rating
18

SMT

100 V

RDHA718FE10A2QK
RDHA718SE10A2SK

Flange
SMT

SPST NO
(Form A)

RDHA718FE10A2SK
RDHA718SE13A2SK
RDHA718FE13A2SK
RDHA718SE10A2FK

Flange
SMT
Flange
SMT

130 V

100 V

RDHA718FE10A2FK
RDHA718SE13A2FK
RDHA718FE13A2FK

Flange
SMT
Flange

130 V

Input
Buffer
5V,
controlled

3.3V,
controlled

3.3 V,
fast

RDHA720SF06A1NK

20

SMT

60 V

No Buffer

RDHA720FF06A1NK

Flange

SPST NO
(Form A)

RDHA703NM10A1NK

SMD4

100

SPST NO
(Form A)

No Buffer

RDHA701FP10A8CK

1.5 A

Flat Pack

100

No Buffer

RDHA701FP10A8QK

SPST NO
(Form A)

5 V,
controlled

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Channels
per pkg
2

AN-1068

Also in development are the following SPDT (Form C) types.

Part Number

Package

Voltage

Contacts

RDHA718SD10C1BK

Current
Rating
18

SMT

100

RDHA718FD10C1BK
RDHA718SD13C1BK
RDHA718FD13C1BK

Flange
SMT
Flange

130

SPDT
(Form C)

Channels
per pkg
1

Input
Buffer
3.3 V

For iterations on any of the above, or for something completely different, please contact your IR
representative, your IR area Sales Manager, or the Leominster factory.

Application Hints
General Use
Because of the inherent isolation in the SSR, it can be used to drive either the high side or the low
side, or even between sides, as in a solar array battery charger. Figures 5 through 7 show some
typical applications:

Figure 5.- One of Eight Channels in an RDHA701FP10A8QK Driving a Heater Element on the high side.

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Figure 6.- An RDHA703NM10A1K Driving a Lamp on the Low Side

Figure 7.- An RDHA718SE10A2QK Being Used to Control Battery Charging

In Figure 7, an isolation diode must be used to prevent battery discharge into the solar array through
the FET body diode when off, i.e. not charging. Another way to accomplish the same thing with less
power dissipation is to use an AC SSR (or to use both channels of a dual DC SSR connected in
series, source to source) in place of the DC SSR/diode combination shown above.
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SSR Switching Times

EMRs do not switch very fast, perhaps in the neighborhood of 5-20 milliseconds. The switching time
of a normally constructed SSR is in the same ballpark, due primarily to the poor current transfer
ratio of the PVI. (The PVI output current has to charge the gate capacitance of the output FET, and
this takes time.) For most applications, this medium speed response is acceptable.
In other applications, system designers may be concerned with dV/dt and/or dI/dt. Keeping these
values low helps keep system interference at acceptable levels. Some SSRs are constructed with
additional internal circuitry that keep dV/dt and dI/dt at controlled levels, thus helping to reduce
system RFI and EMI. One consequence of this controlled (i.e. slow) switching is that the MOSFET
transitions its active region slowly. If turn-on transients are expected (i.e. due to a capacitive load,
for instance), an analysis must be performed to ensure that the design does not violate the MOSFET
Safe Operating Area (SOA) limits. One method of limiting the current surge is to provide a small
resistor in series with the load. Figure 8 shows one way of accomplishing this. The 1-Ohm resistor
limits surges to 28 Amps peak, well within the capabilities of an 18 Amp rated SSR.

Figure 8.- Surge Current Limiting Using a 1-Ohm Resistor

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If proper circuit operation does not permit leaving the current limiting resistor in the circuit permanently, it can be bypassed by a second SSR. The second SSR turns on slightly delayed from the
main load SSR. This is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9.- Sequenced Switching Out of a Current Limiting Resistor

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Some SSRs have a multi-purpose input circuit. These can be configured for automatic bypassing of
the current limiting resistor. This is shown in Figure 10. The current limiting resistor for the second
(bypass) SSR sets the input LED current in the 10-20 mA region.

Figure 10.- Automatic bypassing of a current limiting resistor

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In yet other applications, a faster turn-on is either desired, or required because of the presence of
turn-on transients. Under these conditions, the following guidelines should be followed.
1. Start with an SSR from the fast series, not one from the controlled series.
2. Use an external resistor to parallel the internal Rlimit so that the nominal LED current is 2x to
3x nominal, but no more than the maximum allowed per the applicable device data sheet.
See Figure 11 and the following discussion.
3. Use an external Rs and Cs to increase the peak current at turn-on to 100 mA (or as much as
the specification allows). Rs sets the peak current, while Cs sets the pulse width, usually 1 ms.
Figure 11 and the following discussion show how to connect these components.
4. Tailoring the MOSFET used in the output can lead to a more robust design. Contact the
SSR product line manager for further information.

Figure 11.- Turn-on Speed-Up Circuit

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The values of the components in figure 11 are calculated as follows. The RDHA702FT10A2FK

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datasheet states that the internal LED diode drop is a nominal 2.6 Volts at a 10 mA drive current.
The Rlimit resistor sets this current, and is therefore equal to (5-2.6) V/10 mA, which is 240 Ohms.
The data sheet also states that the maximum allowed LED DC current is 40 mA. In order to add an
additional drive current of 30 mA, Rp calculates to be 2.4 V/30 mA, which is 80 Ohms.
The maximum peak LED current allowed per the datasheet is 100 mA for 1 ms. In order to add an
additional peak current of 60 mA (so that the peak of 60 plus the DC current of 40 equals the
maximum of 100 mA), Rs calculates to be 2.4 V/60 mA, which is 40 Ohms. Cs must set this 60 mA
peak to have a time constant of no more than 1 ms. Since Cs sees basically just Rs, Cs calculates to
be 1 ms/40 Ohms, which is 25 uF.
At these higher currents, the LED Voltage drop will be higher than the 2.6 Volts used in the above
calculations. This means the DC and AC currents will not quite hit their mark, but it is not worth a
recalculation. It is best to leave the values as-is since it will lead to a slightly more conservative
design as far as pushing the LED currents to their maximum limits go.

Single Shot High Current Pulse Generator

Figure 12 depicts one way to generate a medium accuracy power pulse using known radiation
hardened components. Use is made of the hysteresis built in to the inputs of the RIC7113 IC, as well
as the inverting nature of the shutdown function. At a logic supply of 5 Volts, the input high threshold is about 3.2 Volts. After bringing the trigger pin high, the RIC7113 output goes high, which turns
on the SSR. Trigger must remain high for the circuit to time out. It takes about 100 ms for the ~200K
Ohm timing resistor (300 K in parallel with 600 K) to charge the 1 uF capacitor up to the 3.2 Volt
threshold, turning the RIC off, which turns the SSR off. The circuit remains in the off state until the
trigger pin is brought low and then high again (because of the RIC7113s internal edge triggered
reset circuitry).
Applicable formulas are as follows.
-Rt equivalent is equal to Rt1 in parallel with Rt2.
-Rd softens the capacitor discharge surge.
-The 10K/10K divider reduces the SSR input voltage so its 10 V limit is not exceeded.
-The timing formula is as follows. 3.2=5e-t/RteqCt

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Figure 12.- Rad-Hard Single Shot High Current Pulse Generator

Sequencing High Current Pulse Generator

Figure 13 depicts one way to generate medium accuracy sequenced power pulses using known
radiation hardened components. This design is similar to that shown above, except for the
inclusion of additional stages in a ring format to create the sequencing.

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Figure 13- Rad-Hard High Current Sequenced Pulse Generator

Design for Survivability in a Radiation Environment

Radiation hardened MOSFETs are used throughout this product line. They are easily capable of
sustaining exposure to >100 Krad(Si) TID, and to an SEE of 37 MeV/(mg/cm2) or higher.
The PVI are also characterized to these same levels. Some degradation does occur to the PVI as
they are exposed to radiation. Ways to minimize any negative effects on SSR performance are as
follows.
1. Run an LED current of at least 10 mA, and preferably higher. The higher the LED current,
the more degradation can be withstood.
2. Choose a PVI with two LEDs. Again, this yields more room for degradation.
3. If possible, choose a slower PVI. This may seem to be in conflict with advice given above,
but the slower devices are simpler, and thus more immune to radiation.

Radiation Effects
1. External to the SSR
a. All of our SSRs employ a Rad-Hard MOSFET output device. The particular part
used is listed on the SSR data sheet. The radiation effects on MOSFET parameters
that are external to the SSR, i.e. Drain-to-Source specifications, can be found in
the MOSFET data sheet. Listed will be maximum changes in such areas as breakdown Voltage, output leakage current, etc.
b. For the most part, none of the SSR input parameters are radiation sensitive. Input
current in the on state may increase a bit due to an increase in gate-to-source
leakage in the input buffer FET.
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2. Internal to the SSR

a. As radiation exposure progresses, the MOSFET gate to source Voltage may change
a bit. This will affect SSR switching time to a very small degree, as this shift is small
in a Rad-Hard MOSFET.
b. MOSFET gate-to-source leakage current will also increase, causing a slight increase in switching times. The opto output current must now divide between charging the gate and supplying this leakage, causing a small increase in delay time.
c. With continued exposure, the opto will also be affected. The LED(s) will put out less
light, and the photovoltaic array will become less efficient. Both of these effects will
work to reduce the current available from the opto-coupler, thus increasing the
SSR switching times. However, we are conservative in our designs, and have tested
these devices to insure that they will still be functional after exposure to the radiation limits as stated on the individual data sheets.

Simulation Model
The SSR can be simulated by entering its individual parts as if they were elements of the overall
schematic. Each data sheet calls out the IR part number of the main switching FET. Input buffer
FETs are as follows.
-

5 Volt actuated SSR have an IRHG57110 input buffer transistor

3.3 Volt actuated SSR have an IRHLF770Z4 buffer transistor

Controlled switching devices have a single LED PVI, and its components are shown in figure 14.
Fast switching devices have a dual LED PVI, and its components are shown in figure 15. Both of
these are pre irradiation.

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Io=Iinx(1.00x10-3-0.0025x10-3x(T-298 deg Kelvin))

Vz=11.5-0.045x(T-298 deg K)
I is in Amps, V is in Volts, T is in degrees Kelvin
As a check, @ 25 deg C and Iin=10mA, Io=10 uA, Vz=11.5 Volts
Io falls off at the rate of 0.025 uA per degree of temperature increase.
Vz falls off at the rate of 45 mV per degree of temperature increase.

Figure 14.- Components for simulating the PVI in a controlled response SSR

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Io=Iinx(4.9x10-3-0.013x10-3x(T-298 deg Kelvin))

Vz=13-0.050x(T-298 deg K)
I is in Amps, V is in Volts, T is in degrees Kelvin
As a check, @25 deg C and Iin=10mA, Io=49 uA, Vz=13 Volts
Io falls off at the rate of 0.130 uA per degree of temperature increase.
Vz falls off at the rate of 50 mV per degree of temperature increase.
Figure 15.- Components for simulating the PVI in a fast response SSR

WORLD HEADQUARTERS: 233 Kansas St., El Segundo, California 90245 Tel: (310) 252-7105
http://www.irf.com/ Data and specifications subject to change without notice. 2/4/2005

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